Pneumoperitoneum gas heating and humidifying apparatus and device for inducing pneumoperitoneum

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a pneumoperitoneum gas heating and humidifying apparatus and a pneumoperitoneum device employing this apparatus, in which there is no contamination of the carbon dioxide gas with bacteria, a clean humidified gas is obtained, and the temperature of gas for which the relay was halted and then restarted does not rise excessively. This pneumoperitoneum gas heating and humidifying apparatus provided with an airline, a water conduit which is provided to at least a portion of the outer periphery of this airline, and water supply ports which are connected to the water conduit, wherein at least a portion of the wall of the airline facing the water conduit is formed of a water permeable membrane. The present invention further provides a pneumoperitoneum device in which a carbon dioxide gas cylinder, a gas flow regulator, and a trocar catheter are sequentially connected via piping.

Description

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention[0002] The present invention relates to a pneumoperitoneum gas heating and humidifying apparatus and to a device for inducing pneumoperitoneum (hereinafter called "pneumoperitoneum device") that are employed in endoscopically-guided surgical procedures within the abdominal cavity.[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art[0004] Surgery on the abdominal contents conventionally has been performed by making a large incision in the abdomen, a procedure that was both considerably painful and physically stressful for the patient. Post-operative recovery from this procedure was frequently prolonged. Accordingly, the use of endoscopically-guided surgery, in which a small hole is made in the abdominal wall through which an endoscope and surgical instruments are inserted into the abdominal cavity, has spread rapidly in recent years as a minimally invasive alternative to laparotomy.[0005] In order to maintain surgical space and the endoscope's visual field when pe...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Surgery on the abdominal contents conventionally has been performed by making a large incision in the abdomen, a procedure that was both considerably painful and physically stressful for the patient.

Post-operative recovery from this procedure was frequently prolonged.

In addition, since the carbon dioxide is a dry gas, it tends to dry the inside of the abdominal cavity, causing moisture to evaporate from the parietal and visceral pleura.

Accordingly, the patient not only consumes energy resources due to the surgery, but also must expend energy to maintain body temperature in the face of the above-described temperature-lowering influences.

These factors can contribute negatively to the patient's post-operative recovery.

When the pressure inside the abdominal cavity decreases and carbon dioxide gas supply is resumed under these circumstances, a large amount of carbon dioxide gas that has reached high temperatures at the extremes described above is supplied into the abdominal cavity, and a considerable physical stress is placed on the patient during surgery.

If, however, bacteria somehow get introduced into the water, they can grow within the heating and humidifying apparatus.

Thus, there is the possibility of infecting the patient since the bacteria could be introduced into the body via the carbon dioxide gas which has been in direct contact with the water.

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